The Arrangement

Cuba

Siyabonga

We finally made it to Cuba in the wee hours of the morning so the streets where quiet. Scar along with a few guards were waiting for us already. We got off the plane and that's when I last saw Sabelo. I just hope he's not going to go drink his liver dead.

Xola and I were still not talking. So much so that he took a different car to mine.

"Boss you've got missed calls from...Your wife?"

Scar says handing me my phone with a questioning look on his face. I have him a hand sign saying we'll talk later. One of the guards here Marco came forth.

"Hola Marco(hello Marco) "

"Hola Scar como estas (hello scar how are you)"

"Estoy bien, ¿cómo están la esposa y los niños (i'm good so how's the wife and kids )

"¿Cuándo nos vamos? todavía tenemos 4 horas de conducción y tenemos que hacer más en el almacén (when are we leaving? we still got 4 hours of driving and we need to do more at the warehouse)" Xola said coming out of his car

"Hola Ghost"

"Se está perdiendo el tiempo con todas estas pequeñas charlas. (time is being wasted with all these small talks.)"

"Oh"

"Hawu bhuti waba muncu manje ku Marco? (Brother why so sour towards Marco)" I say shocked because they are thick as thieves together

"Nxa" he clicks his tongue and enters the car again

"Carnicero que pasa con Ghost (Butcher what's up with Ghost)?"

"Don't mind him Marco he's just missing his wife. But we do need to leave" I say and we enter the car and start the 4 hour drive to the warehouse

*******4 hours later********

"Uh boss, you need to come see this"

Fucking shit I was in my head again! I gotta get in my head in the game.

"Whats up?"

I walk to Sticks and stand behind him. We had some soldiers come here about a week after Amanda got kidnapped. My son is living with Amanda's mother at the moment but since the September holidays are getting closer, Basanda was going to visit and officially meant Crystal but that will have to change.

"The tracker on Hernandez's truck stopped moving"

"Okay maybe the driver needs to refill"

"Thats what I also thought but it has been beeping at the same place for over 10 minutes and there are no petrol stations here. He passed the last one 45 minutes ago."

"Shit okay uh wait five more minutes and if it still doesn't move we'll get ready to go check the place out"

"Boss I think we should move in now because they are 2 and a half hours away from us-"

"How far is alpha team from the tracker?"

He taps on his laptop for a few "Uh they are 37 minutes far"

"Okay good tell me when they get there"

"Uhm boss it's your wife again" Brian says coming over with my phone

"What how long has she been calling?"

"2 hours"

"But it's late that side"

"Boss she's really persistent"

"That I know when it rings again answer it and tell her I'm unavailable. For the next two weeks or so."

"Uhm okay."

Brian walked away and I sat on the chair opposite Sticks and checked on Crystal. I opened up the security cameras I had placed in when I moved to this house 7 months ago. I check the cams outside and nothing was out of the norm. I move to the cameras in the living room and I see the tv is on but she's not in there so I move to the kitchen and lo and behold my lovely wife in a big tee shirt cooking.

I turn on the audio and pull the headsets on. The music playing is Rihanna's Te Amo. She's moving to the beat cooking and that brings back memories of us dancing in the quiet streets at 3 am after a McDonald's McFlurry. Ahh those were the good old days.

And alarm brings me out of my reminiscing. "What's going on sticks?" I ask him

"Butcher the truck just exploded exactly when alpha team was 10 minutes in. Beta team is almost there but boss something doesn't feel right with all of this going on. Something honestly does not feel right."

"Further explanation Sticks"

"I mean Amanda knew we'd been tracking Hernandez for the past 2 years and right when we are about to nail him she goes missing. Was she acting differently before her disappearance ?"

"Acting differently how?"

"Strange calls, messages come on boss anything out of the norm?"

"Well she let me see less and less of Basa and then a couple months back she was pushing for visits and sleepovers and she insisted she stay. I just thought she was worried about him but now that I think about it. She wanted to do something with my house"

"Your very house that was robbed when you went to KZN because of the meeting ekhaya. Did you tell her you'd be home ?"

"Yes I did. I told her it was my weekend off from work and the force"

"Hmmm."

************************

"Boss we have arrived at the scene and it does not look good at all"

One of the agents said "Why what's going on?"

"Let me clear the scene boss then I'll get back to you"

"Sure"

"Boss why are we really doing this. I mean I know Amanda is and excellent agent but why risk so much, she is after all replaceable and this thing of her going missing right as we are about to get Hernandez for good. It just doesn't sit right with me."

"Sticks I appreciate your concern but I haven't reasons and the main one is that she is the mother of my first born child. He's too innocent for all of this and I will not rob him the chance of having a mother."

"But Boss your wife-"

"Doesn't know and will not know until I tell her"

"Boss I don't think that's a good idea"

"I'll make it work"

"Boss-"

"ENOUGH! I will not discuss my family affairs at work. Now let's focus on finding that son of a bitch Hernandez"

"Right."

"Yes. Now, doesn't he have a shipment coming in tonight?"

"No he moved it to two weeks after this one"

"Damn it!"

"Boss okay you gotta see this"

"What's it Jonas"

"Let me send a picture. Alright it's coming to you now Sticks"

"Sticks?"

"On it aaaaand here it is. Got it. Damn!"

Damn indeed. On the ground was written Oops! You missed me. damn Hernandez

"Okay Alpha team I want you to spread around the area and see what you can find. The rest of you along with beta team will need to locate Hernandez's warehouse. I'm on my way. We'll meet at the warehouse."

A chorus of yes boss was heard. "Uh what do you mean your going to the warehouse Butcher ?"

"I mean exactly that. I said I'm going and I am"

"Ghost? Your brother"

Sticks turned to Xola who only shrugged his shoulders. I went to the lift and pressed the last button which leads to the last floor, the garage. I chose a simple car to not get noticed in town and off I went.